2020/03/27 |
Publication of "Masukomi sekuhara hakusho" (The state of sexual harassment in media) |
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February saw Bungeishunjū Ltd.’s publication of Masukomi sekuhara hakusho (The state of sexual harassment in media), a book that investigates the reality of sexual harassment in the mass media industry. WiMN (Women in Media Network Japan), the book’s editorial team, was founded in 2018 as an association for women working in the media industry. The organization works to overcome the obstacles of business conditions and organization that women face. The book that came about as a result of these efforts strives to throw the darkness tied to the industry into sharp relief, which is encouraging considerable changes.
According to an online survey held in 2018 by a women’s liaison conference of the MIC Union (Mass media, Information & Culture), 74% of answerers stated they experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, while only 26% discussed the issue with their company. It may be that bringing a book with all these “voices” into the world might help the lives of many people. Women across Japan who will learn that it is okay to say they are hurt, to feel anger, will begin standing tall. Comments on the book’s cover include Shiori Itō's recommendation and the rallying cry of #WeRise, with her statement that “No matter how hard the events in the past were, we can change the future by expressing them.”
